World peace

[nobelium]

Can we find solution to all the conflicts(war, etc) and problems prevalent in this world? Or is it too impractical?
Please express your views on this.

[lightning]

We cannot find solutions to all problems in the universe.

And if we supposedly did find all solutions to all problems, life would have no purpose because there are no problems to solve, a vegetable life. Nothing can be made or created because new ideas would be created, potentially damaging ones. Feelings, including jealously, would also be aroused.

Such a utopia would only exist if no one had feelings, a nonexistential life.

And while people might say that they have the solution to all the problems in the world and implement it, creativity and freedom would then be severely controlled, such as depicted in novels Fahrenheit 451 and 1984. Corruption would still occur.

[cottontail]

We can't find solutions to all problems.
Sometimes when you fix one problem, you cause another.
So, we can usually make things better, but can't fix everything.

[TZF]

We couldn't even find Bin Laden -- how do you think we could end ignorance, abuse of power, crime, environmental destruction, poverty/malnutrition/hunger, disease, crime, hate, terrorism, and war (to name a few)?

Here are a few more related questions:

1. Do you think a problem-free state is stable?
2. In particular, do you think that the individually-held notion of self-interest will ever be compatible with a problem-free world within any social context?
3. If so, under what kind of social contexts/social conditioning would this be possible?

The authors of the books mentioned by lightning attempted to answer that final question.

[Gen8]

[JBL]

[Gen8]

[TZF]

You misunderstood his point -- he's saying that even if WMD's and such weighty issues never existed, there would still not be a "problem free" world.

This is because the problems of humanity are much more deeply rooted and fundamental -- namely, basic human nature and general patterns in equilibrium social structure (which result from basic human nature).

[sdkudrgn88]

[inoit]

I really hope this isn't spam but I'm a little scared because this is the first time I am posting in this forum.

Honestly there is no possible way whatsoever to get rid of all potential problems in the world. There is always someone who is unsatisfied. (I recommend reading the book The Giver by Lois Lowry for an example of a utopia that still has faults.)

Also, why should we get rid of all the problems in this world? In my opinion the only people that live on Earth that don't have problems are the people who are dead, buried in a cemetery, and in heaven. If you really don't have any problems, I really think you should get down on you knees, pray, and beg God for some problems because you're going to leaving soon.=]

[mathgeek_88]

i agree, i see no reason to be in a perfect world. though it seems nice to us right now, imagine being same as everyone else. This concept and its flaws are explained by writer Kurt Vonnegut in "Harrison Bergeron", a great story. basically, everyone has been equalized, except Diana Moon Glampers, who does the equalizing, and the methods of equalization are reall cruel. those with great physical strength must carry bags of birdshot, pretty people must wear ugly masks, singers must purposely sound awful, reporters must be monotonous, and the intelligent people wear headgear that sends sirens into their ears every 10 minutes to disrupt their thoughts. being in a perfect world would be boring, awful, and impossible. there will always be problems in this world, because imperfect people cannot create a perfect, problem-free society.

[jain_harshi]

The world can never be problem free. If there were no problems, that in itself is a problem, because to have total peace would mean that feelings of people would have to be removed. As lightning said, Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 show the problematic "problem-free" societies of the future, where feelings and thoughts are suppressed. A real-world example would be the Soviet Union. The founders of the USSR set out to make a problem-free state, where everyone was equal, and it turned out to be a disaster. People revolted because they weren't allowed their full freedom. Suppression of freedom is necessary for a problem-free world, but then is has been proved no one can bear the thought of that.

HJ

[royalflower]